IRONMAN and HOKA form partnership with Sika Henry 

We have been following the journey of Sika Henry USA’s first Black female professional triathlete being one of the leading advocates for generating more diversity in the sport of triathlon and a role model for the under-represented ethnic minorities to follow their dream. 

So, we are delighted to hear that IRONMAN and HOKA have formed a partnership with Sika Henry where they will work in unison to identify and remove participation barriers within the sport of triathlon that impact Black and other diverse athlete groups. 

This will be done by building awareness and expanding outreach in support of the IRONMAN’s Race for Change initiative in recognition that black athletes represent less than 1% of IRONMAN athletes in the United States and Canada. The initial goal is to support clubs and organizations focused on welcoming black athletes to the sport and to increase participation five-fold within the next five years. 

Henry will serve as an ambassador for Race for Change and work with the IRONMAN Foundation to develop community outreach engagements in conjunction with various 2022 Race for Change events associated with IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races. 

Sika Henry: Quitting Triathlon is not an Option 

In addition, the elite triathlete will take part in a social media campaign aimed at connecting with young athletes and those aspiring to compete in IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races.  

“I am very happy to support the IRONMAN Foundation’s Race for Change initiative,” said Sika Henry. “I hope to extend and welcome more diverse athletes to our sport who have previously encountered barriers that prevented them from participating…Throughout my journey to become a professional triathlete, I’ve worked hard to be someone others can look up to and who does something with my story. I am deeply passionate about making the sport more accessible, and I hope my story can inspire others to develop the skills necessary to complete any distance…Together, with the IRONMAN Foundation we can bring more people to the sport that I love so much.” 

Sika Henry: Have faith in yourself. Don’t give up! ‘The Future Awaits’ 

Race For Change was launched in 2020 by the IRONMAN Foundation and The IRONMAN Group with an initial pledge of US$1 million to support programming. The objective is to ensure equity for athletes in the sport of triathlon and the communities where IRONMAN athletes and first-time hopefuls live, train and race.